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Introducing Islam

Muslims believe in the One Unique, Incomparable, Merciful God- the Sole Creator, Master Sustainer and Cherisher of the Universe.  Muslim beliefs consist of the following:

(1) Belief  in God

Muslims believe in the Oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc.  God  is  incomparable, has no father or mother, no son or daughter, no partner, and that none has the right to be worshiped but Him alone. The name of God in Arabic language is Allah. He is the true God, and every other deity is false.

He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes.

Allah is the Name of God (in Arabic), the Exalted. It is said that Allah is the Greatest Name of Allah, because it is referred to when describing Allah by the various attributes

(2) Belief in the Angles

Muslims believe in all the Angles. The Angels are from the creation of Allah; no-one knows their exact number except God. They are from the unseen world. Allah  created them to worship and obey Him.

(3) Belief in the Books of God

Muslims believe in all the books of God. God revealed Heavenly Books to His Messengers in order to convey them to mankind. These Books, during their times, contained nothing but the truth. All these Books call people to worship God alone, and that He is the Creator, Proprietor and Owner, and to Him belong the beautiful Attributes and Names. Among these books THE SCRIPTURES OF Abraham and Moses;  THE TORAH which is the Sacred Book which was revealed to Moses; THE ZABOOR (PSALMS) which is the Book which was revealed to David; THE INJEEL (GOSPEL) which was revealed to Jesus; and the NOBLE QURAN which is the final book that is the Speech of Allah which Gabriel brought to the messenger of Allah “Muhammad” from God in a clear Arabic language.

(4) Belief in God’s Messengers

Muslims believe in all of God’s messengers including Adam, Nuh, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad peace of Allah be upon all of them. God chose the finest amongst mankind to be messengers whom He sent to His creation with specific legislation; to worship and obey God, and to establish His religion. He ordered His messengers to convey the message to people. God also chose people amongst mankind as Prophets to affirm the legislation and religion of the messenger sent before them and to call people to it. There are many prophets and messengers; no one knows their exact number except Allah.

(5) Belief in the Last Day

Muslims believe in the last day. The life of this world will come to an end, and Allah will resurrect mankind and will gather all creation together and call them to account. 

(6) Muslims believe that Allah knew everything before it came into being, and what will happen to it afterward. He then brought them into existence, all in accordance to His perfect knowledge, wisdom, and measure.  Allah says : and has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination [25:2].

 

How to be a Muslim – The Testimony of Faith

The testimony of faith is the simple formula which must be said with conviction in order to be a Muslim.

The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.” This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah)” means that no one has the right to be worshiped but God (Allah) alone, and that God has neither partner nor son, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” This testimony of faith is called the Al-Shahadatien in Arabic.

 

God

In the Quran, God describes Himself: Say, “He is God, [who is] One, (1) God, the Eternal Refuge. (2) He neither begets nor is born, (3) Nor is there to Him any equivalent.” (4) (Quran, 112:1-4)

No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of worship, but God alone.God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they need. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Knowing . 

In a perfect manner, His knowledge encompasses all things, the open and the secret, and the public and the private. He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will happen. No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not and will never be. His will is above the will of all the creatures. He has power over all things, and He is able to do everything.

He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent. In one of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad , we are told that God is more merciful to His creatures than a mother to her child. God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is All-Wise in all of His actions and decrees. If someone wants something from God, he or she can ask God directly without asking anyone else to intercede with God for him or her.

In the Quran (which is translated into English as): Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yes, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty and delight: it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another) god besides Allah. No, they are a people who swerve from justice. Or, Who has made the earth firm to live in; made rivers in its midst; set thereon mountains immovable; and made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water? (can there be another) god besides Allah. No, most of them know not. Or, Who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering, and makes you (mankind) inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah. Little it is that you heed! Or, Who guides you through the depths of darkness on land and sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His Mercy? (Can there be another) god besides Allah.- High is Allah above what they associate with Him! Or, Who originates creation, then repeats it, and who gives you sustenance from heaven and earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah. Say, “Bring forth your argument, if you are telling the truth!” Say: None in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is hidden: nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgment) . [27: 60-65]

 

 Quran

Prophet Muhammad and Quran

The Quran is the literal word of God, which He revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (peace of God be upon him) through the Angel Gabriel.  The Quran is the ultimate source of authority because it’s not only revelation or inspiration of God, it’s verbatim word or revelation of God. It was memorized by Prophet Muhammad (peace of God be upon him) who then dictated it to his Companions.  They, in turn, memorized it, wrote it down, and reviewed it with the Prophet Muhammad (peace of God be upon him) .  Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad (peace of God be upon him)  reviewed the Quran with the Angel Gabriel once each year and twice in the last year of his life.  From the time the Quran was revealed, until this day, there has always been a huge number of Muslims who have memorized all of the Quran, letter by letter.  Some of them have even been able to memorize all of the Quran by the age of ten.  Not one letter of the Quran has been changed over the centuries.

Allah says in the Quran (which is translated to English as). Chapter 10, verses 57-58.  O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers  .

Quran

Quran Interpretations

Listen to Quran with translation

The first chapter in the Quran

Prophet Muhammad 

Muhammad (peace of God be upon him) was born in Makkah in the year 570. He was a direct descendant of Ishmael, the eldest son of prophet Abraham. Muhammad’s father died just before he was born, and his mother passed away when he was six. He was raised by this grandfather, the chief of Makkah; and upon his grandfather’s death, Muhammad (peace of God be upon him) came under the care of his uncle, Abu Talib.

Muhammad was a shepherd in his youth. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity, and sincerity; earning the title of al Amin, the trustworthy one. Muhammad (peace of God be upon him) was frequently called upon to arbitrate disputes and counsel his fellow Makkans.

At age 25, Muhammad married Khadijah, an honorable and successful businesswoman. They were blessed with two sons and four daughters. It was an ideal marriage and they lived a happy family life.

Muhammad (peace of God be upon him) was of a contemplative nature and had long detested the decadence and cruelty of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the cave of Hira’ near the summit of Jabal an-Nur, the “Mountain of Light” on the outskirts of Makkah.

Prophet Muhammad  (peace of God be upon him)  used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet  (peace of God be upon him)  replied, “I do not know how to read.” The Prophet (peace of God be upon him) added, “The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, ‘I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?’ Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, ‘Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists), created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.” (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) Then Allah’s Messenger  (peace of God be upon him)  returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, “I fear that something may happen to me.” Khadija replied, “Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.” Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza, who, during the pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, “Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!” Waraqa asked, “O my nephew! What have you seen?” Allah’s Messenger  (peace of God be upon him) described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, “This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” Allah’s Messenger  (peace of God be upon him)  asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, “Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly.”

Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari

The Cave

Sunnah

The sunnah (what the Prophet Muhammad  said, did, or approved of) is the second source in Islam.  The sunnah is comprised of hadeeths, which are reliably transmitted reports by the Prophet Muhammad’s  companions of what he said, did, or approved of.  Belief in the sunnah is a basic Islamic belief.

Sahih al-Bukhari

Sahih al-Bukhari is a collection of hadith compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH/870 AD) (rahimahullah). His collection is recognized by the overwhelming majority of the Muslim world to be the most authentic collection of reports of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad .

Sahih Muslim

Sahih Muslim is a collection of hadith compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Naysaburi (rahimahullah). His collection is considered to be one of the most authentic collections of the Sunnah of the Prophet , and along with Sahih al-Bukhari forms the “Sahihain,” or the “Two Sahihs.”

 

Meaning of Islam

‘Islam’ in Arabic means ‘submission to God’, and is derived from a word meaning ‘peace’.  As such, the religion of Islam teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart, one must submit to God and live according to His Divinely revealed Law.

Jesus in Islam

In Islam, Jesus is  one of the greatest of God‘s prophets and messengers to humankind. His mother “Mary” was a righteous woman. God said about her in the Quran in chapter [3: verses 42 and 43] (which is translated as): “And remember when the angels said, “O Mary! Surely Allah has selected you, purified you, and chosen you over all women of the world. O  Mary! Be devout to your Lord, prostrate yourself ˹in prayer˺ and bow along with those who bow down.”

There is a complete chapter in the Quran with the title “Mary” which is chapter 16. In this chapter Allah mentioned the story of Mary and Jesus in the

versus (16) to (36)

 

First Step In Islam

Meaning of Allah

Translation of the first chapter in the Quran- “The Opener”:

Islam Against Discrimination and Racism

Shared Video: Islam In Brief

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